


Shared Sentiment

by blackvelvetwisteria



Series: Ace Humans Being Actual People [2]
Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Angst with a Happy Ending, But the OFC is really minor, Demisexual!Caius, Established Relationship, Fluff, Grey!Ace Aro, Hurt/Comfort, Lawyer Aro, M/M, POC Aro, Panic Attacks, Sappy Love Songs, Surgeon Caius, old fashioned love songs, really sappy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-17 05:09:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28719411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackvelvetwisteria/pseuds/blackvelvetwisteria
Summary: After a shared formal work event goes sour, Aro takes some time to reassure Caius in the sappiest way.
Relationships: Aro/Caius (Twilight)
Series: Ace Humans Being Actual People [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1940248
Comments: 3
Kudos: 7





	Shared Sentiment

**Author's Note:**

> I stumbled onto The Romantic Side of youtube, so now you get this. Have fun.

He could do this. It didn't matter that there were too many people in the room, or that his suit felt like it was choking him. It didn't matter that black-tie events made his skin crawl. He could do this. An image of Aro subtly hiding his excitement as he gently reminded Caius that he didn't have to come, it was okay and their colleagues would understand if he skipped out yet again flashed across his mind. His throat tightened, guilt pooling in his chest. He could- no, he  _ would _ do this. Aro deserved one night where he could merge his work  and home lives. Caius would be damned before he let his personal hang-ups get in the way again. 

"Darling? Are you alright?" Aro's voice filtered through his internal discomfort. He hid his flinch, taking the drink Aro offered him with a small grateful smile. He looked stunning, in Caius's not so humble opinion. The black suit and waistcoat were carefully tailored, and the patent leather boots that ran right into the dress code didn't seem to have caught anyone's attention yet. Aro had pinned his black curls up in a careful bun, and he had the irrational urge to reach over and poke it to see if it would fall apart. Aro looked like he belonged, and Caius only felt more out of place next to him. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just not used to... _ this _ ." He gestured half-heartedly to the garishly decorated room done up in pastel purples and dark greens and the pretentiously dressed people surrounding them. "It's a lot. I can't believe this is the standard." He leaned against the wall and took a small sip of his drink. "Oh, wow. They don't skimp on the alcohol, do they." His tone was flatter than he wanted and he cringed internally. 

Aro hummed, eyeing him carefully. 

"No, seriously. I'm okay. Like I said, it's just a lot." There, his voice sounded much more believable as he reassured his husband. It helped that he was only half lying, and he swallowed the shame with a larger swig. 

Aro opened his mouth before being cut off by a woman Caius vaguely recognized. A pang of regret hit him as Aro's social mask slipped into place and he turned to the already yammering newcomer with a bright smile. 

"-There you are! O'Malley is butchering the story of how we won that trial last quarter, and I know you tell it so much better than he does. You need to stop him and tell it properly!" The woman finished up with a pointed look, arms folded. Her black strapless evening gown was almost swallowed by the fact that everything that wasn't her dress or sparkly jewelry was red. Her brown hair was half up, and she held a half empty martini glass in one hand. She looked a bit like a girl playing dress-up and a lot like a particularly showy Barbie. 

"Oh, that's not good. Everyone knows he can't tell a proper story to save his life. I'll be there in a minute." And there was the social voice to match his social mask. The pang of regret grew into something ugly, sitting leaden and heavy in Caius's stomach. Aro went on "Although, manners first, of course! Deidre, have you met my partner?" 

Partner. Not husband. Even though they'd agreed on using partner instead for work settings, it still stung. A voice that sounded suspiciously like his therapist reminded him that Aro needed him to communicate so he'd know that Caius was already uncomfortable. He pushed the thought away, locking it in the back of his head. 

The woman turned a skeptical eye on Caius and he quickly forced an amiable expression, meeting her stare head on. He knew what she was seeing. He'd cleared his final outfit with Aro, after all. His dark blue suit was slightly more fitted than Aro's, paired with black shoes that were far too shiny for his liking. He'd spent hours tying his white hair in a complex braid that far outdid Deidre's messy up-do. Aro said he looked elegant, and he could only hope the parasites he was dressing up for agreed. 

"I don't believe I have. So you're the elusive Caius we've all heard  _ so  _ much about." Her tone was as fake as her nails and revulsion shivered across his shoulders. He hated this. He hated how she eyed him up like a piranha, as if checking that he met some unspoken criteria and was therefore worthy of decency. 

"It's lovely to meet you. Aro's told me about you." He tried, using his best 'entitled person I need to pacify' voice. He had a suspicion that voice would get a lot of use. It seemed to work, and he breathed a sigh of relief as she turned to Aro, mollified. 

"All good things, I hope!" She sounded less fake when she wasn't talking to Caius and he hid his eye roll. 

"Naturally! There's not many unkind things I could say about you." Bright and conspiratorial, as if the regard Aro supposedly held for his colleague was something to be kept quiet. 

_ Liar _ , Caius thought. He'd sat through enough rants about the incompetency of Aro's coworkers to know Deidre was one of the worst. He pasted the amiable look back on his face as the duo turned back to him. 

"Would you like to come with us? Surely you can't be having fun tucked into this little corner!" Deidre couldn't have gotten a higher octave if she'd tried, and Caius quietly prayed the floor would eat him alive. He already hated Deidre, hated her voice and the way she looped an arm through Aro's with casual confidence. 

"I'll be along in a moment. I don't usually get the chance to come to one of these, so I just want to take it in for a bit." He forced an impressed tone, one that satisfied her. She turned away with barely a nod, dragging his only hope of sanity with her. Aro shot him one last look, signing an apology before giving her his full attention. 

Caius slumped back against the wall, relieved, exhausted and guilty in equal measure. He hated this, but for Aro, he would do it. 

******

Okay, he was wrong. He couldn't do this. Scratch that, he'd already done it enough to be decent. He'd promised Aro two hours, and now it was two miserable hours and one more strong drink later and Caius was ready to leave. Urgently. 

He hid his shaking hands in his pockets as he politely excused himself from yet another vapid conversation about his suit and his schooling. The quiet, judgmental glares on his back paired with the sharp, fakely pretty words everyone spouted had finally taken their toll. The nasty feelings he'd swallowed earlier had coalesced into a full blown storm that was valiantly attempting to pull him under. His breath caught as he glanced desperately around the room, searching for Aro. His stomach sank further, and he abandoned that plan. 

The doors to the grounds were partially open, and he slipped through as carefully as he could. The cool night air helped slightly, and he gasped as he sank onto a bench, fumbling for the fidget toy he kept in his pocket. When had breathing gotten so difficult? His head spun, and he frantically, instinctively clicked the switch on the toy. 4 - 7 - 8. The clicks formed a pattern Caius distantly remembered he was supposed to breathe with. He coughed as he tried to follow along with it. Why couldn't he breathe properly? The dim lights from the party blurred before he squeezed his eyes shut in a vain attempt to ward off the realization sinking in. 

Panic attack. Oh joy, he was having a panic attack in the middle of the biggest event the hospital hosted each year. He fought to get his breathing under control, trying not to scold himself for not getting it immediately. It would have been easier with Aro there, but he wasn't and Caius didn't know where he'd gotten to or- 

Oh. Okay.  _ Idiot _ , he chided himself, free hand already unlocking his phone. He shot Aro a quick, clumsy text telling him where he was and why before the world started spinning. He shut his eyes again. Aro had his phone with him right? He usually did when Caius didn't come but Caius was here so maybe he'd left it at home? He couldn't remember. Surely he did, he wouldn't ever let Caius ride out a panic attack alone if he could help it. 

**_But he didn't know_ ** **,** a nasty little voice popped up in his head.  **_You didn't tell him how uncomfortable you were. He doesn't know, and he's not going to know._ ** He would have whimpered if he had enough air in his lungs to do so.  **_You're going to ruin tonight_ ** _**for** -_

"Oh,  _ love."  _ Aro's voice cut through his spiraling thoughts. He flinched, curling up. Relieved guilt welled up and he let out a quiet sob. Aro would help him, and then Aro would be disappointed that he couldn't keep it together and he didn't think he could handle that. He'd tried so hard to play nice and he hoped maybe Aro had seen that? Maybe he wouldn't abandon Caius after he calmed down enough to not be a problem? 

"I'm  _ not _ going to leave you here."

How did he know? Was he talking out loud? Gods, he didn't need Aro to hear it, not now. 

"Darling, I need you to breathe. Can you do that for me?" The desperate undercurrent in Aro's voice got his attention. "You're on the edge of hyperventilating. Can I touch you? Please?" 

He nodded frantically. A warm, gentle hand circled around his free wrist, tapping lightly against the back of his hand in time with the toy he was still clicking.

"4 - 7 - 8. Just like that, sweetling. Okay? I've got you. 4 - 7 - 8." Aro sounded mildly wrecked and a lot worried but the sound slipped comfortingly into place in Caius's head. He focused on Aro's voice in his ear and the tapping on his hand. His breathing evened out slowly, helped significantly just by the sheer fact that he wasn't alone and trusted the person with him with his life. 

"I'm- I-I'm so -" Caius stammered, trying to force the apology out. He sniffled, mindful of how pathetic he probably looked. 

Aro hushed him softly. "None of that, Cai. You don't need to apologize for being overwhelmed. Ever." He looked quietly devastated, staring at Caius as if he'd witnessed a nuclear explosion in an orphanage filled with puppies. "Can you handle more touch right now?" 

Caius whimpered as Aro's voice cracked halfway through, betraying just how maddeningly worried he was. He'd done that. He'd taken a night that was supposed to be fun for Aro and worried him badly, probably scared him on top of it. 

"Caius?" He froze. His full name, from Aro. Aro never used his full name. Full names were reserved for being around people they didn't know well. Or… or for Aro making a point. "Caius, my love. Look at me. Please?" 

His eyes were closed again. When had he closed them? Carefully, he looked at Aro, trying to keep his breathing even. 

"Can I hold you?" Aro sounded choked, as if he was going to start crying himself. His eyes were watery, filled with concern. 

Aro wanted to hold him? But he hadn't managed to apologize, and he was still shaking. But touch sounded so good,  _ Aro's  _ touch sounded so good. Maybe it was okay? 

"I- okay." And  _ oh, _ he wanted to erase that particular tone from Aro's vocal cords forever, he shouldn't sound so sad  _ ever.  _ "Relationship rule one." 

"Love, care, and comfort are unconditional and freely given." The answer to Aro's prompt slipped out without Caius thinking about it. They echoed in his head for a moment, piercing the fog that had covered his thoughts. Oh.  _ Oh _ . __

For one long moment they simply looked at each other. It was almost surreal, the way they oriented around each other, waiting. An almost imperceptible amount of hope on Aro's face seemed to die as the moment held. Some base instinct finally kicked in, and he all but threw himself at Aro, startling them both. 

He felt Aro swallow a sob as Caius clung to him. The feel of careful fingers stroking his head made his throat tighten again. "Sweet boy. I'm so, so sorry. I meant to keep a closer eye on the time, and I never should have left your side at all. I know how upsetting this kind of event is. I promise you, if you're required to come to another one of these, this won't happen again. I won't let it." He sounded ragged but relieved, and Caius felt the nasty feelings swirling in his chest dissipate at his words. 

He shifted, tilting his head so Aro could hear him. "You're forgiven. I was feeling uncomfortable at the start of the night, I knew I needed to say something but I decided not to. I'm sorry for not saying anything, and for not communicating with you." He sighed, relaxing as Aro hugged him tightly.

Something occurred to Caius then, and he let out a bitter laugh. "You know, I was actually looking forward to tonight a bit? I usually hate these things, but…." He trailed off, voice catching. He pushed slightly against Aro's hold, just enough so that he could take one of Aro's hands in his; resolutely not looking at him. "It feels so stupid. I know it's not, and I know you definitely won't think it is, but it feels stupid anyway." 

"Darling?" There was something gentle in Aro's voice, something that sounded like home and felt like comfort, but he didn't let himself savor it. If Caius didn't say it now, he didn't think he would at all. 

"....I wanted to dance with you. That's what I was looking forward to, getting to dance with you in front of everyone." He swallowed, feeling his cheeks heat with the admission. It was such a simple, cliché thing, to want to dance with the person you loved, wasn't it? But cliches weren't always all bad, and part of him desperately hoped this was one of those times. 

"You're right. Sweetling, that's not stupid at all." Caius looked up then. Aro was looking at him, gaze cautiously optimistic. "I know you're not going back inside, I wouldn't suggest it at all. But, maybe here?" Aro looked at the little area around their bench. "I think there's enough room here for a few slow dances. What do you think?" Slowly, he stood and tugged Caius up along with him. 

"...music?" It came out so much smaller than Caius thought it would. He sounded so fragile.

Aro simply smiled, pulling out his phone. "How's this?" The opening chords of Can't Take My Eyes Off You came through the speakers, and Caius nodded, not trusting his voice. 

He tried to relax, letting Aro lead them in a smaller, more intimate slow dance as the music filled the air around them. Aro held him, warm and solid and tight, and he swallowed back more tears. His eyes burned as Aro began to sing along, his elegant baritone vibrating in the air and cutting right through to Caius's heart. He leaned into Aro, hiding as they finally spilled over. He was distantly aware of the song ending and another one starting as Aro repositioned himself, singing softly next to his ear. 

They slowed gradually, until they were simply holding each other and swaying. The mood had softened into something sweet and warm and the tears steadily dripping down Caius's face were competing with a small but happy smile. Aro wore a similar expression, tinged with awe and care and as he cradled Caius gently against his chest. 

Aro's smile got bigger as the next song started. He raised a hand carefully, sweetly, to Caius's cheek, dipping into the deeper part of his range to match with Elvis as he sang along to Can't Help Falling In Love. Caius blushed furiously even as he smiled helplessly. The song was so sappy, and yet so sentimental, and Aro sang it as if every word were brand new; as if the concept of loving someone so much it radiated through both people had been invented just for them and the bond they shared. He tentatively joined in, letting his rather wrecked tenor mix quietly with Aro's voice, meaning every word and holding tight to his lovely, wonderfully understanding husband. 

Later, the two of them would sit down and talk out every misstep of the night. They would reassure each other and make a new plan to deal with similar situations. Caius would make a note to talk to his therapist about the incident, and Aro would do the same. Aro would hold him a bit tighter as they curled up in bed, and Caius would tell him with amazement about how even during the worst of his panic, he'd never actually believed the things he'd thought. But for now, they held each other tight as they both settled, singing quietly in the night air and the low light from the party inside. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a kudos if you didn't like it enough to comment, and leave a comment if you did. Feedback sustains your local writers. 
> 
> Next installment: the obligatory sickfic with proportional amounts of fluff.


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